Analysis Paper
(100 Points)
Paper Prompt
Thus far in the semester, we have discussed what it means to live in a pervasive media society wherein most of us spend more time using media technologies than all other daily activities, including work and sleep. As Lule (2018) describes in his text, media are used as tools for economic, political, and cultural globalization. While some people believe that media have helped to foster a global village by creating a more interconnected and interdependent world, others believe media have actually enhanced conflict, miscommunication, and indifference. The purpose of this writing assignment is to prompt you to reflect on your perceptions about the relationship between media and globalization.
Answer the following questions in an essay format and use evidence from the texts and lectures, as well as examples, to support your ideas:
- Describe the connection between the pervasive, 24-hour media environment and the global village.
- How do media influence economics, politics, and culture in ways that positively andnegatively affect the global village?
- Explain whether you believe McLuhan’s global village or Lule’s global village of Babel better describes our world and why.
Format Requirements
- The paper should have a title page formatted according to APA (6th edition) style conventions. You do not need an abstract.
- The paper should be double-spaced with 12-point Times or Cambria font.
- You must have an APA-style reference page, as well as in-text citations for all sources.
- All margins, running headers, page numbers, and spacing should also be in APA-style.
- The length of the paper should be around 2000 words (around 8 double-spaced pages, excluding the title and references pages).
Paper Submission
The paper should be submitted on Blackboard. Papers not submitted by class time on the due date will not be accepted without prior arrangements/discussion. There will be no exceptions. No hard copy of the paper is needed.
Suggestions for Writing the Analysis Paper.
- A high-quality paper will:
- Have strong organizational
structure.
- Your paper should have an introductory paragraph that contains an attention-getter, a thesis statement, and a clear preview of the main points/structure of the paper.
- You should work to carefully craft a succinct, well-reasoned, and well-integrated response to the questions in this assignment. Your ideas should be cohesive between the different sections of the paper.
- All of the core questions should be referenced in the thesis you create. You should also take a clear positive or negative stance in your thesis, and devote more time in the paper to the side for which you are arguing.
- The body of the paper, where you answer the key questions and apply the course concepts/theories, should be clearly organized. This means having new paragraphs for new ideas, clearly marking new main and sub-points, and using transition words (e.g. Additionally, Consequently, Contrastingly, Secondly, etc.) to connect sentences and paragraphs.
- The paper should also have a concluding paragraph that summarizes the purpose of the paper, recaps the main points, and ends with a strong final thought (a clincher).
- Apply multiple theories/concepts
in detail and provide concrete examples.
- Your paper should demonstrate a thoughtful analysis of the key questions and provide a thorough synthesis of the course readings and lectures. This means that you should apply theories, concepts, and terms throughout the paper and in ways that indicate your understanding.
- Ideally, you should use your own examples rather than relying on the book examples. Do not regurgitate content and examples, but show me you have actually thought about and understand the content.
- Follow formatting/style
directions – especially for citations.
- You must cite all relevant sources (e.g., readings, lectures) using APA 6th edition style. That means citing sources both in the text and on a reference page. (Note: If you barely have any citations, you probably don’t have enough meaningful content/evidence in your paper.)
- If you choose to use outside sources, those must be cited as well.
- In the past, many students who produced A-level papers used a few outside sources, particularly ones related to polls, statistics, or examples.
- Pay attention to the guidelines and expectations (e.g. have a title page, double-space) and, when in doubt, e-mail for clarification.
- Be well-written.
- Your paper should not have spelling or grammatical errors, nor should it have numerous typos.
- Your paper should use quotes sparingly. Things should be paraphrased when possible, and all quotes should be given context and explanation.
- Your paper should be an appropriate length and have all of the appropriate elements of a formal essay.
- While you may write in the first person, and while Question 3 asks you to take a stance, this is not simply an opinion piece. All of your ideas/opinions should be backed up with evidence and examples.
- Remember: No matter how good your ideas, if the quality of your writing is poor, you have not crafted an A-level paper.
Useful Resources
Reading, Writing, and Study Strategies Center
OWL Purdue’s APA Style Guide Website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Healey Library Citation Resources and Help
